Virginia parents livid after gang member who threatened to murder classmate returns to school

Parents in Loudoun County, Virginia, are outraged after a student with gang connections and a history of gun violence was allowed to return to school.

The student in question was arrested in 2023 while attending Blue Ridge Middle School for taking a firearm to school and threatening to kill another student.

Local media reported last month that the troubled student is now attending Loudoun Valley High School. 

“My daughter is terrified to go to school with him,” Abbie Platt told the Loudoun school board on Tuesday. “Where’s the protection and the safety for our children who are in school with other children who have [made] known threats, who have been arrested and who are back in the school?”

Another parent, Michael Rivera, referenced the student as a “known gang member” for his connections to MS-13, an international criminal gang with a history of murder, prostitution, drug smuggling, human trafficking and illegally transporting immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The student is also alleged to be an illegal immigrant himself. 

However, school board chairman Melinda Mansfield cut off complaints from more parents, saying they were using “personally identifiable information.” 

Parents were still livid.  

“When we come to speak, and we come to speak for the protection of the students and the teachers, we should be listened to and not be silenced,” said Suzanne Satterfield.  

“You want to violate their First Amendment (rights) and stop your constituents from speaking,” accused parent and former school board member Tiffany Polifko. “Everything that was brought up in this public comment is already public knowledge.” 

In September, a district spokesperson responded to questions regarding the gang member with the following statement: 

“There is nothing more important to Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) than the safety and welfare of its students and staff. The Division of Safety and Security, in conjunction with local law enforcement and public safety partners, has created a comprehensive safety and security plan to protect students, staff and visitors. This plan is equipped with multiple layers of redundancy, some visible, some not, to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone.”  

The school board members refused to comment on the issue, but Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman admitted it was a concerning situation.  

“Anybody that’s got ties [to MS-13], and anybody that might pose a threat to anybody else, it does concern us,” Chapman said. “As far as any particular threat or any particular person, I can’t really go into that because what you’re talking about are juveniles, and so we’re limited as to what we can say. 

“But anybody that’s connected with a gang, anybody that might pose a threat to somebody, we take it very seriously.”